Phoenix Coyotes executives see bright future for NHL team

Phoenix Coyotes executives are upbeat about the team's ownership picture, season-ticket sales and prospects for having another winning season next year.

President Doug Moss and General Manager Don Maloney met with reporters this week to talk about the Coyotes' future.

The National Hockey League still has not approved an owner, but Moss said the situation is far less stressful than a year ago.

At the time, the Coyotes were in U.S Bankruptcy Court, Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie was trying to buy the team and move it to Ontario, and ticket sales dwindled amid uncertainty.

Now Glendale has sent a preliminary agreement with potential buyer Ice Edge Holdings to the NHL and guaranteed $25 million, until a buyer is in place, to offset operations losses for the team and arena in the 2010-11 season.

"There's no comparison," Moss said. "I hate to say things are back to usual, I don't even know what usual is anymore, but we're out there in a much more normal setting."

Corporate partners and groups wanting suites that were silent last year are calling sales staff since the team put on a stunning season of wins that culminated in a playoff round against the Detroit Red Wings in the spring, he said.

"We found out the phone does ring," Moss said.

In the first three days of season-ticket sales that began this week, 500 new fans bought seats, team officials said, almost as many as all of last season. The total number of new season-ticket holders in 2009-10 was 626.

The number of season-ticket renewals was not available. New sales and renewals should continue through the start of the season in October.

The average price of a season ticket is more than $2 lower than last season, officials said.

As Moss and Maloney talked, sales staff at the team's Westgate City Center offices across from Jobing.com Arena banged a gong and cheered twice as has become their recent ritual to celebrate tickets being sold.

"The Coyotes are relevant again," Moss said. "This marketplace responded to the playoffs. All we had to do was show we can be competitive."

Still the team's success on the ice is critical, Maloney said.

"That's the only way we can survive," he said. "There's work to do to get people to come back. . . . I'm encouraged, though, if we get a good start, we can bring more people here."

Glendale's lease deal with Ice Edge calls for extra fees for parking and tickets, as well as changing the team name to Arizona Coyotes.

Moss said some fans could be turned off by having to pay more. But many are telling Coyotes staff they're willing to fork over more cash if it will keep the team in Glendale, he said.

The new name won't be a big deal, Moss said. After all, the Cardinals and Diamondbacks are named after the state instead of a city, he said.

And the recent departure of Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf's group from the negotiating table isn't getting anyone at the team worked up, Moss said.

Last summer's bankruptcy hearings were an emotional rollercoaster. But after so many twists and turns on the ownership front since then, he said, "we can't afford to get impacted."

Moss is not involved directly in the talks with Ice Edge, but he noted the passion that its Canadian and American partners have displayed for the team, for example, by attending regular season and playoff games.